Growing Seeds North Feedback?
Hello Urban Mamas. We are considering changing daycare centers for a few different reasons. Growing Seeds North (or the upcoming new location on MLK) is very close to our home and our oldest child's school so it could be a good option for us. We'd appreciate any feedback - (the good, the bad and the ugly!) folks have had with this daycare center. Our youngest (who is 2) is very happy where she currently is but there are a few things that could use improvement. We would hate to make a move for more of the "same but different" if you know what I mean. Thanks so much for your comments.
My daughter has been at Growing Seeds North for just over 2 years now, and we love it. The teachers are wonderful - compassionate, calm, respectful, creative, trustworthy...
The staff is environmentally conscious -- provide organic meals and snacks, use cloth diapers, all wood toys, etc. They are constantly building climbing structures (for inside and outside) and making other improvements to create variety and stimulate the kids. having outdoor space was important to us, and they've really done a great job with what they have. The kids spend alot of time outside during the summer. And even if it's raining they usually get out for bit.
there is one spanish speaking teacher in each class, so kids get lots of exposure to a second language. (i don't think this is the case in the new location they are opening).
My daughter has been very happy there and we feel that the school is helping to instill the same values our family has.
I don't really have any bad or ugly to report. Our class has experienced a fair amount of teacher turnover the past year, but i still think it's less than most places. And they don't seem to leave to go to other daycares, but rather to go back to school or follow other life pursuits. regardless, the teachers that leave make an effort to stay in touch, which is nice. And the new teachers are always of high quality. I've liked all of them on a personal level and have been very pleased with what i see in the classroom.
good luck!
Posted by: zz | June 23, 2009 at 03:15 PM
Thanks so much for your feedback!
Posted by: KM | June 26, 2009 at 02:42 PM
I didn't like the parking lot either, and the garden fence scared me, too close to the street for me.
Posted by: lindaste | July 03, 2009 at 10:04 PM
I had not heard about the drive-by (yikes).
The play area is a converted parking lot, but you wouldn't really know it. If you have not been there in the last 3-4 months you should take another look - they have taken over a larger area and built some wonderful play structures.
One more positive to add - there's alot of racial diversity among both the staff and the kids. It's a real melting pot. I didn't see that in most of the other daycares i visited (and i don't see it in most parts of this town).
Posted by: zz | July 06, 2009 at 10:27 PM
My daughters have been at Growing Seeds for a year and our family loves it - we're very, very happy there. The play spaces, inside and out, are far better than the very popular downtown chilcare center we were at before. As a previous poster noted, the staff at GS continually build new play structures, and the teachers we have had have been amazing. And diverse staff (gender-wise too, which I think is wonderful). We have noticed some turnover, but that is to be expected at any childcare center, or any place where most employees are in their twenties - a population that changes careers, goes back to school, and moves around. I never understand that particular complaint about daycares - the caregivers who've been doing it for 20 years have never been my favorites, personally.
Posted by: GS Mom | July 08, 2009 at 02:02 PM
We just heard that we got a spot for Fall and are pondering--the director mentioned three out of the four teachers are leaving (like the poster above said, she said this will be to go back to school/start a business). Anyone currently in preschool there have any inside track on this?
Posted by: Squidmother | July 20, 2009 at 12:40 PM
As a former GS teacher, I HAVE to chime in on this..
The reason SO many of us have left is due to low wages ($9-$10 per hour), huge class sizes, no staff representation, etc. I think they try, they are just so big, and keep growing and it is all about the bottom line ($$).
Please do not use the "generation x" as an excuse. My colleagues and I are all college educated, dedicated educators who left simply because we were treated as disposable employees. Not sure I would enroll, there is also a fair amount of student/family turnover and the 3 month notice you must give if you decide to leave is a killer.
Former GS Teacher
Posted by: Former GS Teacher | July 20, 2009 at 04:16 PM
Well, with three new teachers coming in I don't imagine we have any way to predict what the classroom environment will be like. I think the class sizes are probably standard ratio for centers, aren't they?
The 90-day notice does concern me especially with the flux in staff and the current economy.
Former GS Teacher, did you feel your initial salary was unfair, or did promised raises not materialize, or were you asked to work extra for free, or what? Was there any organized staff action that failed, or anything like that?
Posted by: Squidmother | July 21, 2009 at 08:42 AM
Squidmother, there are definitely other centers with smaller class sizes in Portland. That was the main reason we decided against Growing Seeds when we started looking last year... too many kids in one room.
Posted by: allison | July 21, 2009 at 12:26 PM
So, we had up to 10 kids in the class for 2-3 year-olds with 2 teachers (max ratio of 5:1), but there are often fewer kids (8-9). The pre-k can have up to 20 with 2 teachers but the last time i looked at the rosters there were about 16 kids/day assigned to our classroom. I don't know if they will try to fill it to max capacity - that would be a good question to ask them.
I agree with former mommy - visit a bunch of places and go with your gut. Everyone has different goals and expectations.
Curious - is $9-10/hr less than what other daycares pay teachers?
best of luck!
Posted by: zz | July 22, 2009 at 05:03 PM
Growing Seeds is a center that is truly committed to providing high quality care to the children and families they serve. There has been staff turn over but on the flip side there have been teachers that have stayed for years. Any business learns as they grow. Growing Seeds really is at the best point ever. Staff training has become increasingly more consistent and there are more staff available for ongoing training. Young infants have now grown into empathetic preschool members. I would definitely recommend that any issues that come up with the school be taken directly to any administrator. Good luck in your child care hunt and it is true that you should always go with your gut. The first years of your child's life are precious and the education they receive at such a young age is what they are able to carry with them throughout their entire life.
Posted by: xoxo | August 14, 2009 at 06:26 PM
Growing seeds has only been around a couple years. The management and owner have no proven child care education or degree. HIGH Turnover in staff. Christina and Jessica owned it and they split up and she now owns Childroots. This concerns me. they think they can care for 100+ children w/ no background and no care for the teachers. This is not just a business, these are children. I have been watching them awhile and they have no real substance or real program. I found another school w/ better ratios, service and who treat their employees better,,,
Posted by: K.P. | August 14, 2009 at 10:23 PM
Dear zz,
Yes, $9-10 an hour is less than some other preschool/daycares pay their staff. I own a school and pay my teachers $14-16 an hour plus benefits. They feel valuable, respected, and very rarely leave. Happy, consistent staff is a key ingredient to a quality program.
Posted by: happymom | August 15, 2009 at 11:43 AM
Hi,
I am looking for some more recent feedback on Growing Seeds North. My child may start there in the preschool in Fall and I wanted to see what other people's experiences have been with the school.
Posted by: ema | June 09, 2011 at 04:00 PM
My daughter has been at GS for 2 years and will be moving on to pre-K in the fall. She really likes it and I think that educationally, nutritionally, and emotionally, it is an excellent daycare. They also believe in being environmentally friendly, organic everything, cloth diapers, optional deoderant, meat served only once a week. Not really my thing but most people in Portland are in support of that so if green is your thing, GS is probably the way to go. However, I was not aware of the employee issues until reading the above posts and that is something that concerns me. I don't know whether it is still an issue or not, but the comment about the bottomline being a priority makes sense. They charge an arm and a leg for tuition and do not prorate it for the many vacation days and in-service days during which the daycare is closed. The school is closed at least one day a month for one reason or another and about 10 days for winter break. The cost is really my main complaint. At one point they tried to impliment madatory volunteer hours for parents or alternatively, you could pay an extra $300 in place of volunteering. The parents' uproar squashed that idea pretty quickly but it seems like they do alot of things to make money for items that they probably should already have money for (like having an auction of the kids' artwork to pay for art supplies). The money making stuff is alittle weird to me but I don't do their books either so what do I really know. The only other issue I have is that diversity-wise, not doing so great.
Posted by: Parent of GS'er | June 29, 2011 at 11:36 AM